Submitted by A.B. Youngman on Wed, 20/07/2022 - 15:01
The Covid Pandemic, rising cost of food and scarcity of some foodstuffs, have all focussed attention on how local areas can meet the challenges of a fractured food system. Local Food Partnerships (LFPs) play an essential part in this and are key to delivering local and national food priorities. 1
LFPs are partnerships between local authorities, other public bodies, third sector organisations, businesses, and academic organisations. They exist to promote public health and wellbeing, to foster community connection and resilience, to build prosperous and diverse local food economies and to help tackle the part that the food system plays in the climate emergency.
Cambridge Sustainable Food CIC is our local LFP. Their work is dedicated to making the local food system fairer, more resilient and less destructive. Their current Gold Food Cambridge campaign aims to earn the city a Gold Award from Sustainable Food Places by 2024. A status currently held by only two cities in the UK; Brighton and Hove and Bristol. Sustainable Food Places is a partnership programme led by the Soil Association, Food Matters and Sustain: the alliance for better food and farming.
The core aim of Cambridge Sustainable Food’s Gold Food campaign is to create significant, positive and lasting change for a fairer and more secure and sustainable food system for everyone. They hope to make Cambridge a national leader in two areas:
- Creating a resilient food system that restores nature and tackles climate change.
- From food insecurity to food justice: developing a new approach to ensure good food for all.
Cambridge Global Food Security IRC is pleased to support the campaign, along with other teams at the University of Cambridge. Ivan Higney, Chair of the Catering Managers’ Committee at the University of Cambridge said that, “We are very proud to join this campaign and to play our part in building a gold standard city. The bringing together of the ‘Town and Gown’ of the city is something that would not have happened without this network.”
You can find out more and sign up to support Cambridge Sustainable Food’s Campaign here: Gold Food Cambridge #YESWECAM — Cambridge Sustainable Food
1 Jones, M., Hills, S., & Beardmore, A. (2022). The value of local food partnerships: Covid and beyond. UWE Bristol: Esmee Fairbairn Foundation and National Lottery Community Fund